1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fuse box including fusible links to be provided in the electric system of automobiles.
2. Background Art
As the fuse box to be provided in the electric system of automobiles, there are two types, one having a divided structure and the other an integrated structure.
The divided structure type comprises one fuse box directly attached to the battery and another fuse box for receiving power supply from the one fuse box. In this case, the one fuse box is mechanically supported by the battery through a conductive bracket coupled to a metal terminal directly attached to the battery terminal, and is also electrically connected to the battery through the metal terminal and bracket. That is, both the bracket and metal terminal act as electrical and mechanical connecting members, respectively. Such a structure is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration Application for Disclosure No.(SHO)59-115544.
On the other hand, the integrated structure type includes a portion for connecting the electric wire of the battery at a corner portion of the fuse box, so as to enable the power supply from battery to fuse box by connecting the contact portion of fuse box and the distal terminal of wire by screwing with a bolt after mounting the fuse box on the vehicle body in an assembly line. This structure is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration Application for Disclosure No.(SHO)63-127055.
For the parts makers producing fuse boxes, however, if the integrated structure type fuse box is adopted for such wiring as mentioned above, the wire harness becomes considerably thick so that the workability of wiring and assembly becomes poor and the productivity is degraded.
On the other hand, for the automobile makers, the above-mentioned bolt screwing to such a thick wire flowing a large current must be required at many places, thereby degrading the productivity.
Thus, it is proposed to deliver the divided structure type fuse box to the automobile makers in a divided state, so that each automobile maker can mount the divided fuse box on the vehicle body. Because the divided structure type fuse box is more flexible in handling than the integrated structure type, it is advantageous for the parts makers that both the mounting work on assembly line and the wire connecting work can be facilitated.
However, for the automobile makers, the workability of mounting to the vehicle body becomes degraded because both the work for connecting the one divided fuse box to the battery and the work for bolt-screwing the wire from the one fuse box on the battery side to the other fuse box must be required.
Moreover, in the divided structure type fuse box the bracket for receiving power supply from the battery also works as mechanical connecting member. Thus, the reliability of electrical connection is likely to be lowered by looseness or breakage caused by vibration or the like reason.